Temporary cut-out switch for vault ventilators



Jan.- 1.0, 1933. o. B. MccLlNTocK TEMPORARY CUT-OUT SWITCH FOR VAULTVENTILATORS Filed OCT., 4, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l Jan. l0, 1933. o. B.MccLlNTo'cK 1,893,900

TEMPORARY CUT-OUT SWITCH FOR VAULT VENTILATORS Filed Oct. 4. 1930 2Sheets-Sheet 2 jlzy. 5

Patented Jan. 10, 1933 PATENT @Flill OLIVER B. MCCLNTOCK, OF MNNEAPOLES,M'INNESOTA, ASSIGNOR 'O 0. B. MCCLINTOCK COMPANY, OF LENNEAPOLIS,I'JIENIIESGTA, A CORPURATION 02 MINNESUTA TEMPORARY CUT-OUT SWITCH EURVALT VENTILATOBS Application led Getober 4, 1930.

My present invention relates to vault ventilators such as used inconnection with bank vaults and the like and for the well-known purposeof supplying fresh air to a person or persons in the vault and of thetype using a blower for producing` a forced circulation of air in thevault.

It has been found that when the blower is in operation it is diiiicultfor persons working in the vault to converse due to the noise producedby the motor, blower and the rush of air through the ventilator.

The object of this invention is to interpose in the circuit of the motorfor the blower a temporary cut-out switch that is normally andautomatically closed to complete said circuit. This switch is providedwith means by which it may be manually held open to break the motorcircuit and cause the motor and blower to stop and, when released, willautomatically close and again complete the motor circuit. The temporarycut-out switch is encased or otherwise made inaccessible so that it cannot be tampered with for the purpose of causing the motor to stop andcut out the fresh air supply to the vault.

To the above end, generally stated, the invention consists of the noveldevices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined inthe claim.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, likecharacters indi-` cate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view principally in section showing a bank `vault ventilatormounted in the wall of a vault and having the invention embodied in thecircuit for the motor;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the ventilator head; n

Figs. 8 and al are detail views of the switch, on an enlarged scale; and

Fig, 5 is a wiring diagram.

For the purpose of this case it will be only necessary to designate themonolithic concrete wall of the vault illustrated as entirety by theletter X.

The bank vault illustrated, for the purpose of showing the invention inworking position, is disclosed and broadly claimed in the Serial No.435,395.

pending application of Oliver B. McClintock, Silvan R. Popp and EdwardC. Hanson, Serial Number 413,824 filed December 13. 1 V29, Patent Number1,810,184, June 16, 1931.

Briefly described, the vault ventilator includes a G iirmly anchored inthe wall X and having a cylindrical interior. At the inner end of thecasing 6 is a head 7 having an inside finishing plate 8. Within thecasing 6 a e nen-rotary axially spaced inner and d i interme latecylindrical core sections 9 and ies actively. A rotary cylindrical core11 is mounted to rotate in the space between the adjacent ends ofthecore sections 9 and 10 and held thereby against axial movement and asimilar core section 12 is mounted to rotate at the inner end of thecore section 10. The two rotary core sections 11 and 12 are pinned orotherwise rigidly secured to an atrial operating shaft 13 that extendsinwardly through the head 7 and is provided with an operating handle14:. The non-rotary core sections 9 and 10 are provided withdiametrically spaced air conduits 15 and 16, respectively, and therotary core sections 11 and 12 are rovided with diametrically spaced aireend its 17 and 18, respectively.

The abo-ve noted air conduits of the rotary and non-rotary core sectionsare adapted for registration when, and only when the rotary coresections 11 and 12 are turned into one certain position, as willhereinafter appear. One of the air conduits 18 at its inner end isclosed by a plug 19 and is provided with a port 2O which, when the airconduit of the rotary and non-rotary core sections are in registration,registers with an air intake spout 21 of a blower 22. This blower 22 ismounted in a chamber 23 with its discharge spout 24 opening into ythevault 25 through a screen cover opening 26 formed in the finishing plate8.

A small electric motor 27 within the chamber 23 is provided for drivingthe blower 22 and its rotor is, as shown, connected directly to therotor of said blower. Tubes 28 forming extensions of the air conduit 15are a part of a iinishing plate 29 on the outer face of the wall X.,

llt)

A conduit-extension tube 30 is secured in the inner end of the aXiallyopen air conduit 18. This tube 30 will register with the port 31 in thehead 7 when the port 2() is in registration with the spout 21 of theblower 22. On the inner end of the conduit-extension 30 is a segmentaljoint plate 32 which works in close contact with the inner surface otthe head 7. The operating lever 14 is against an upper stop pin 33 whenthe ports 29 and 31 are open and the air conduits 17 and 18 are inregistration with the air conduits 15 and 16. The extreme movement ofthe lever 14 away from the pin 33 is limited by a second pin 34 andwhich pin, together with the pin 33, are on the head 7. When the lever14 is in engagement with the pin 34 the core sections 11 and 12 are inpositions in which the air conduits 17 and 18 are out of registrationwith the air conduits 15 and 16 and said conduits 15 and 16 closed. Atthis same time the spout 21 is closed by the core section 12 and theport 31 closed by the joint plate 32.

The air conduits through the ventilating device are further closed whenthe lever 14 is against the pin 34 by a. valve-acting joint plate 35carried by the core section 11 for common turning movement therewith andarranged to work over the outer face of the nishing plate 29.

For the purpose of locating the ventilator and directing the attentionof a person, that may be locked in the vault 25, to the oper* atinglever 14, a constantly lit pilot light is provided and includes anelectric light bulb 36 in a circuit, as will hereinafter appear. Thisbulb 36, as shown, is located in a casing 37 set in the wall X back ofthe tinishing plate 8 and a lens 38 is mounted in said pla-te directlyin front of the bulb 36.

To afford better light in the vault 25 while the ventilator is inoperation, there is pro vided two electric light bulbs 39 mounted in thechamber 23 in a circuit, as will presently appear. A lens 40 is mountedin the finishing plate 8 in front of each bulb 39.

A wiring diagram for the motor 27 and bulbs 36 and 39 is shown in Fig.5, and indicated as an entirety by the numeral 41 except amanually-controlled switch 42. It will be noted that the circuit for thepilot light bulb 36 is always complete and that the circuit Jfor themotor 27 and bulbs 39 may be opened and closed, at will, by the switch42 without affecting the circuit for the bulb 35. The switch 42 may belocated in any convenient place and, preferably, where it is not easilyaccessible to persons working in the vault 25.

Referring now in detail to the temporary cut-out switch 43 which isinterposed in the circuit for the motor 27 and, as shown, is mounted inthe chamber 23, includes pair of relatively fixed spring contact members44 and a cooperating movable contact member 45. The contact members 44are laterally spaced from each other and mounted on a bracket 46 securedby a tubular nut-equipped bolt 47 to the finishing plate 8. TheseContact members 44 are insulated from each other and the bracket 46 andhave terminals 48 to which the wires of the motor circuit 41 areattached. The movable contact member 45 is in the form of a yoke-likeplate secured to and insulated from the free end of an angle arm 49.This arm 49 is pivoted to the bracket 46 for swinging movement to andfrom a position in which the contact member 45 extends between thecontact members 44 and engages the same with a wiping engagement thatholds said contact members spread under tension.

The movable Contact member 45 is yieldingly held in engagement with thecontact members 44 by a coiled spring 50 encircling a longitudinallyextensible and contractable spring carrier 51 comprising telescopicallyconnected members. This spring 50 is compressed between a spring cap, onone of the members of the carrier 51, and a spring base on the othermember of said carrier. The spring carrier 51 extends between the prongsof the blfurcated pivoted member of the arm 49 and its upper end engagesthe transverse portion thereof and is held against lateral separationtherefrom by a pair of lugs 52 located, one on each side of saidcarrier. The lower member of the spring carrier 51 is mounted on andcarried by the short arm of a lever 53 pivoted to the bracket 46,intermediate of its ends, and connected thereto by a ball and socketjoint 54.

A coiled spring 55 attached to the long arm of the lever 53 and anchoredto the bracket 46 yieldingly holds the lever 53 with the contact member45 in engagement with the contact members 44. A lug 56 on the levers 53normally engages the bracket 46 as a stop and limits the movements ofthe lever 53 under the action of the spring 55. Obviously, as the switch43 is mounted in the chamber 23 the same can not be tampered with.

To temporarily open the switch 43, so as to break the motor circuit 41and cause the motor 27 and the blower 22 to stop, there is provided aplunger 57 mounted for endwise sliding movement in the tubular bolt 47,pivoted at its inner end to the long arm of the lever 53 and having onits outer end a push button 59. By pressing inward on the push button 59the lever 53 is operated against the tension of the spring 55 to swingthe movable contact 45 out of engagement with the contacts 44. As soonas the push button 58 is released the spring 55 will again close theswitch 43 and project the plunger 57. It will thus be seen that bysimply pressing on the push button 58 the motor 27 may be stopped whilepersons in .the vault are conversing and then released to again causethe motor to start and operate the blower 22. By thus controlling theswitch 43 the supply of fresh air to the Vault 25 can not be interruptedfor any length of time and there is no danger of a person opening themotor circuit and then forgetting to again close the same.

lVhat I claim is:

A vault ventilator comprising a member adapted to extend through a vaultWall and having an air conduit therethrough, manually operable valvemeans carried by said member for opening and Closing said conduit, meanscooperating with said Valve means and conduit for normally maintainngforced circulation of air through said conduit when said valve means ismoved to open position, and means independent of said valve meanscarried by said member and manually operable in one direction tointerruptA circulation of air through said conduit when said valve meansis open, whereby to permit conversation in either direction through saidconduit, said independent means being automatically operable to returnto normal position upon manual release to restore circulation of airthrough said conduit.

In testimony whereof I aHiX my signature.

OLIVER B. MCCLINTOCK,

